Driving mechanism.



L. A. HILL.

DRIVING MECHANISM.

APPLIpATIoN FILED MAY 1e, 190s.

915,858. Patented M2123, 1909.v

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witnesses 3 Z3`/ 126 5 la 115 9 INV 'INTOR f) .svQafu/gg, l v m A L. A. HILL. DRIVING MBGIIANISM. APPLICATION FILED MAY 16, 1909.

' Patented Mar. 23, 1909.

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L. A. HILL. DRIVING MEGHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 16, 1908.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

A91 5,58. Patented Mar. 23, 1909.

PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS A. HILL, OF-WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

DRIVING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 23, 1909.

Application filed May 16, 1908. Serial No. 438,194.

vented certain new and useful Improvements in Driving Mechanism, of which following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in motor-vehicles and boats, and the object is to so arrange the parts as to utilize the gyrostatic action of the fly-wheel for maintaining the l equilibrium ofthe car or boat and to provide Fig.Y 2, an end elevation of the same.

a peculiarly advantageous placing of the parts-that is, the motor, transmission and cooling means.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of two motors and driving mechanism constructed and arranged iny accordance with my invention. Fig. 3, a side elevation. Fig. 4, a sectional detail view showing the manner of, attaching-the shifting levers to the friction wheels. Fig. 5, a similar view showing arrangement of the parts for shifting the drive shaft to throw the friction wheels mto and outof engagement with the friction disks. Fig. tl, an elevation showing the means for shifting the friction wheels on the drive shaft.

Referring new more particularly to the drawings7 the numeral 1 ,designates the supporting frame upon which-thc motors 2 are mounted. These motors may be ,of any preferred type and are so mounted that their crank-shafts 3 are disposed vertically. Each shaft carries horizontally beneath the motors, a fly-wheel 4 provided about its periphery' with gear teeth, the ily-wheel of one shaft meshing with that of the, other shaft. These shafts are driven in reverse directions. This arrangement of parts and disposition of the fly-wheels is for the purpose of utilizing ythe gyrostatic action ofthe ily-wheels to maintain the equilibrium of the antoinebile or boat despite road irregularities or roughness of water; to offer no resistance to a change of longitudinal direction, and to minimize the tendency toward skidding or capsizing when. making sharp turns at speed. The placing of the fly-wheels as described also renders itfpossible to more advantageously arrange the variable speed mechanism as will fully appear hereinafter'. Attached to and supported below the ylowerface lof each fly-wheel is a friction-disk 5, adapted to be engaged by friction-wheels 6 slidable on a drive-shaft? This shaft is wheel rotates freely in the sleeve.

lsupported eccentrically in sleeves 8 which in turn are `mounted u on hangers 9. Ball bearings `10 are provi ed for both the shaft and the sleeves. The sleeves supporting the respective ends of the shaft carry arms 11 by means of which they may be rotated in the hangers to effect the movement of the shaft to swing the friction-wheels into and out of engagement with the friction-disks. Suitable levers may be o eratively connected with the arms 11 for rocllfing the sleeves.

Each friction-wheel'is formed with a hub 12 on which a sleeve 13 is mounted, ballbearing 14 being provided whereby the Each sleeve is formed with a perforated lug `or arm 15 to receive a shifting-level' 16. These levers 16 are pivotally attached at their lower end to a supporting bracket 17 and are gearedtogether through the mediumof segments, 18.. An operating rod 19 is operatively connected to one of the said levers. By moving this rod in one direction the friction-wheels are simultaneously moved toward the centers of the friction-disks and by moving it in a reverse direction said wheels are moved away from the centers of the disks. .By moving the friction-wheels past the centers of the friction-disks a reverse movement of the drive-shaft is obtained. The lsupporting bracket. 17 is hinged at 20 to 4swing in the direction of movement of the drive-shaft as the latter is moved to swing the friction-wheels into and out of engagement with the friction-disks.

The vertical placing of the crank-shafts permits the weight of the fly-wheels and disks to be carried by the friction-wheels when the car or boat is running instead of being carried constantly onv the crank-shaft journals as would be the case if the crankshafts were disposed horizontally. The employment of two fly-wheels makes it possible touse two' friction-wheels against the faces of the two ily-wheel disks. This arrangement of vertical crank-shafts with horizontal iy-wheels and frictiondisks operating with double friction traversing wheels, speed change and reverse on one drive shaft combine a peculiarly advantageous and symmetrical construction of the power and transmission mechanism.' Y

The iiy-wheels' are cast in the form of suction-fans v21 as shown in Fig. 1, and the friction-disks are su orted below the lower faces of the ily-wheelathus leavinganh'annular space for the escape of air between the iy-wheels and disks, producing suflicient air current through the motor hood 22 to effectively carry H the hot air from the vradiating langes of an air-cooled motor or to cool the circulating water in the forwardly placed radiator of a water-cooledy motor.

I have already set' forth some ofthe advantages of my invention. It may be added that in multicy'linder engines, the long crankshaft of the usual tandem placing of the cylinders is eliminated, while for eilicient air- ,coolingg the air-current is thrown directly and e ually upon and carried past the horizontal y placed cylinders.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is I. In a motor-driven car or boat, motors having vertically disposed crank-shafts, and

ily-Wheels carried thereby dis osed horizontall the iiy-wheel of one sha wit that of the other shaft, a drive-shaft,

and transmitting gars for transmitting mo'- tion to the drive s tors.

` 2. In a motor-driven car or boat, a motor having a vertically disposed crank-shaft, and a iiy-wheel carried thereby disposed horizon- 3Q tally and formed with fan-blades, a driveshaft, and transmitting gears for transmitting motion to the drive shaft from the motor.

3.' In a motor-driven car or vessel, motors having vertically disposed crank-shafts, ily- Wheels carried thereby disposed horizontally, said ily-wheels being geared together, friction-disks carried b the y-wheels, a driveshaft, friction-Whee s movable on the drive- 40 vshaft lto engage the disks at different points, means for simultaneously moving said Wheels on said shaft, and means for moving the wheelsinto and out of engagement with the disks.4 .1

4; In a motor-driven ,car orvessel, motors vhaving vertically disposed crank-shafts, fly- Wheels carried thereby disposed horizontally, said fly-wheels being geared together,

aft from each of the mo- YWheels carried thereb t being geared y friction-disks carried by the fly-wheels, a rockin drive-shaft, friction-wheels slidable on sai drive-shaft to engage the disks at different points, means for simultaneously moving said Wheels on said shaft, and means for eHecting the rocking of the said shaft to swing said Wheels into and out of contact with the disks.

5. In a motor-driven car or vessel, motors having vertically-arranged crank-shafts, Wheels carried thereby disposed horizon tally, friction.- disks carried by the ilywheels, a drive-shaft, friction-Wheels slidable on the shaftpto engage the disks at different points, levers for effecting the movement of said wheels carrying intermeshing segments, and means for actuating one of said levers.

6. In a motor-driven car or vessel, motors having vertically-arran ed crank-shafts, flyisposed horizontally, friction disks carrie by the fl v'heels, a drive-shaft, friction-v heels slida le on said shaft, means for swinging said shaft to bring the friction-Wheels into and out of contact with the friction-disks, a support pivoted to swing in the ydirection of movement of shaft, levers pivoted to said support and engaging the friction-wheels for sliding the latter on the shaft, and intermeshing segments carried b said levers. v l

7. i a motor-driven car or boat, motors having vertically-disposed crank-shafts,l iiywheels carried by said shafts arranged horizontally, a drive-shaft, and means-for transmitting motion ,from each of said crankshafts to said drive-shaft.

8. Ina motor-driven car or boat, motors having vertically-disposed crank-shafts, ilyv. heels carried thereby arranged horizontally, a drive-shaft, and transmitting gears for transmitting motion to the drive-shaft from each of the motors.

In testimony n hereof I have 'afiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

,LOUIS A. HILL.

Witnesses:

ERNEST F. RiLEY, CHARLES B. OsBoRN.

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